1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a rotary device for use in an engine. More specifically, the invention relates to a rotary engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional rotary engines typically have an axis and include a stator on the axis and a rotor on the axis, concentric with and rotatable with respect to, the stator. An example of a rotary engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,708 to Angsten (the '708 patent). In the '708 patent, the rotor includes a cylinder and the stator is disposed in the cylinder, allowing the rotor to rotate about the stator. The stator and the cylinder cooperate to provide three working chambers. Six vanes are supported by the stator and are radially biased to seal against the rotor as the rotor rotates about each of the vanes. Each vane is divided into a leading and a trailing side. Additionally, an intake port, an exhaust port, a fuel injection port, and a spark plug are disposed in diametric opposition on the stator. As the working chambers rotate with respect to the stator and the vanes, the trailing side of the vanes draws an air-fuel mixture into one of the working chambers through the intake port as the leading side of the vane compresses the air-fuel mixture that was drawn into the working chamber by the trailing side of the previous vane that the working chamber had already rotated through. The compressed air-fuel mixture is exhausted from the working chamber through a compression exhaust port to a storage chamber. The compressed air-fuel mixture is drawn into another working chamber from the storage chamber along the trailing side of one of the vanes. Next, a spark charge, from the spark plug, ignites the compress air-fuel mixture to expand the air-fuel mixture inside of the working chamber. Following the expansion of the air-fuel mixture, the leading side of the adjacent vane pushes the expanded air-fuel mixture through an exhaust port and out of the rotary engine. Because the vanes are continuously biased against the rotor to provide uninterrupted sealing contact between the vanes and the rotor, the compression ratio and the expansion ratio remain constant throughout the operation of the rotary engine to provide a consistent thermodynamic cycle.